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Posted on: February 8, 2018

Snow Plow Info

Why aren’t the sidewalks plowed completely to the concrete?

With 80 miles of sidewalks to clear, it is virtually impossible to clear to bare concrete using any mobile snowplows. As sidewalks are jointed, the blade must be raised off the ground to avoid damage to the concrete and blade. Our team regularly investigates the latest sidewalk plowing equipment and has yet to find an option that can rapidly plow down to cement.

Why does it take you so long to plow my sidewalk?

Sidewalks are plowed after two inches of snow accumulation and after snow events have concluded. Many of our students walk to school, so crews clear school routes first and then the remaining sidewalks. After snow events, it can take upwards of 10 hours to plow sidewalks depending on the amount or weight of the snow. This is more challenging when one snow event follows another. We ask that residents please be patient as our team works hard to get sidewalks plowed.

Why don’t you use salt on sidewalks?

Placing salt on our sidewalks would be extremely costly and hard to effectively spread. In addition, salt can cause concrete sidewalks to become damaged. Using more salt than what’s already on the street may harm the trees and vegetation surrounding the sidewalk.

Why isn’t my road plowed right after it snows?

Priority street routes (see reverse) are always plowed and salted first so heavy traffic and emergency vehicles can pass through the City. Remaining residential streets are then plowed and salted. During heavy storm events, crews need to focus on major streets before plowing local roads.

Can I avoid having snow from the plows go into my driveway?

Driveways and sidewalks can be cleared to accept snow coming from road plows by clearing “pockets” on either side of the drive, as shown in the graphic to the right.

Where Can my contractor dump snow from my driveway?

Only on your own property. It is illegal for contractors to dump snow in the street or in your neighbor’s property. Public Safety officers look for contractors doing this during their patrols and will write tickets.

Why aren’t you using salt on the streets today?

As the temperatures decrease, so does the effectiveness of salt. Salt works best on roads in temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees. In fact, if salt is used below 20 degrees, roads will refreeze faster than if it wasn’t used.

Does leaving my car in the street affect snowplow effectiveness?

Cars in the street are often one of the biggest challenges drivers face while trying to clear streets. They have to be maneuvered around, which limits the ability of drivers to get close to the curb. During heavy snow, we encourage you to put cars in your driveway as much as possible so that crews can access the full width of the street.

What can I do so my mailbox doesn’t get ruined during plowing?

If your mailbox is not on the opposite side of your driveway in the direction of a snowplow, you can move it to the other side as noted in the graphic to the right. This will allow for snow being thrown from the plow to deposit into your driveway, reducing the impact into your mailbox.

Snow protection framing and seasonal/temporary metal frames are also options to shield the force of the snow.

Most mailbox damage is not from the plow truck hitting it, but due to the condition of the mailbox and post and the force of the snow being removed from the street. Checking the condition of your mailbox at the beginning of the season is advised to help avoid damage.

Did you know?

There are 14 Public Works crew members who are responsible for the 47 miles of road (94 lane miles) and 80 miles of sidewalks that need to be plowed in EGR in addition to all utilities, forestry, yard waste collection and other public works needs. Please have patience as they work as quickly as possible to clear the City after snow events. Next time you see a driver, give them a wave as a sign of thanks for all the hard work they do!

Priority Street Routes

These streets have the highest volume of traffic or are considered feeder streets and are plowed first to help traffic flow.